the long road home

We pulled in to our driveway at 1am, already missing the beach and our family but glad to be home. On the way, we stopped at Buffalo Bill's in Primm to investigate the roller coaster again. We've done this a number of times, but this time Brenden was finally ready to do it. He was so nervous, but pressed forward and tackled the fear. We're so proud of him! Scott said the look on his face as they went down the 225 ft. drop was the look of death -- sheer terror. Afterwards he was laughing and so excited.

The parking lot of Buffalo Bills was on that particular day was the gathering place for desert racing vehicles preparing for an upcoming race. The boys had a great time looking at them. We drove away and about 15 minutes down the road Oliver bursts into tears since we didn't take any pictures him in front of the racing trucks. We tried to convince him it's no big deal and it was still cool to see them, but he was unconsolable. Scott, being the generous accomodating dad he is, actually turned around and went back, so we could take some pictures. This made Oliver's day! Dad of the year! In the process they were able to talk to one of the owners and actually sit in the truck. So of course, these pictures have to go on the blog!



When we got home we were greeted by a back yard with plants and grass! Very exciting. The sod is new and still settling in, and we will add some creeping climbers that should cover more of the rocks when the weather cools off a bit. We are also planning on splitting some of the perrenials from the front yard to put around the raised area. But key favorite features are: a fire pit, a large maple tree that should hopefully shade most of the deck (eventually), three Swedish aspen trees for Scott, a pink flowering dogwood tree right outside my kitchen window (reminiscent of the Kensington house from my childhood), a large sand box along the side of the house, a garden plot, climbing roses that should eventually cover the neighbor's 8 ft fence (due to be installed soon), and two new hose spickets. The boys are dying to get a slip & slide out there ASAP.

baby mine: classic songs for bedtime

The latest CD in Scott's Lullaby series, Baby Mine, was just released, and is now available for purchase and download. I know I'm slightly biased, being Scott's wife and all, but I'm serious - this is an fantastic CD! The songs, arrangements, singers are all amazing. There are some great new takes on old classics including Hush Little Baby and Braham's Lullaby, and a Beatles song and a Disney song and a Wilco song (look at Deseret Book being all modern and progressive!) and some instrumentals and a bunch of other great stuff. Singers include Amy Gileadi, Paul Jacobsen, Ryan Tanner, Marcus Bentley, Mindy Gledhill, Libby Linton, Becky Williams, and several others. In addition to the fact that it really works like a charm to put the kiddies in the sleeping mood, it is just beautiful and inspiring and gives me the chills. So get one for yourself and for your kids and then give them as gifts to any new parent, old parent, grand parent, or really anyone you know. All the songs on this CD are traditional classics -- i.e. secular/non-religious. Scott - you've really outdone yourself this time. It is perfect.




If anyone is interested in the other CDs in the series, the first one, A Child's Prayer, was released a couple years ago and consists entirely of LDS and traditional christian hymns and primary songs. The arrangements are beautiful and many of the same singers contributed their voices. I love this one since it is a fresh and updated take on many of those old classic songs that are a part of our LDS culture but haven't really been recorded in a respectfully modern way before. I don't really know how to describe it, but just take my word on it -- it's not "deseret book-y" at all and does not have any childrens choirs on it.

The second CD, Mary's Lullaby, was released last Chirstmas. Scott took several favorite traditional Christmas carols and gave them his signature cool updated lullaby treatment. This is a perfect Christmas gift for anyone. Really.

All three albums are available for download from iTunes, and also for purchase from Walmart.com (best prices) or DeseretBook.com or in Deseret Book stores (and probably any other LDS book store) everywhere. Only the first one is LDS-music-specific. You can listen to clips from every track of each album from Walmart.com.

So anyway, sorry about the shameless plug and for the super-sales-pitchy sales pitch, but when you believe in something, you've got to share it with a passion, right?! Right.

can you believe we're at the beach again?!

We spent the first week here with favorite friends The Tanners. They were great company. Ryan cooked some amazing meals for us and introduced us to cotija and goat cheese. I can't get over how especially awesome Oliver and Jack's curly locks are in the ocean air. They looked like long lost brothers. It almost blew Jack's mind to be so close to the train tracks, so we thought it would be fun to actually go on a ride.




On Friday we met up with Stephanie and her boys and all went to Sea World. We saw the whale show, the sea lion show, the circus show, the sharks, the penguins, etc, etc, etc, etc. It was hot and crowded and there were snack and souvenir and wet shoes issues, but in the end it was one of those things the kids will remember and we're glad we did it*.

After Sea World, the Tanners left and the rest of the Wileys** arrived. We've been playing in the sand, the water, riding bikes, making s'mores over the fire, bbq-ing, boogie boarding, body surfing, collecting shells, blowing bubbles, etc, etc, etc, etc. It's been awesome to be with family and there's really just nothing like the sound of the waves putting you to sleep at night.


Here are a few things in particular to remember from this week:

• Brenden has been working to overcome his fear of the ditch and gone out in the ocean a few times. He's learning how to handle himself in the water and judge when to jump over or dive under the waves.
  


• We took the kids to a couple other beaches to try to find better boogie boarding/body surfing waves***. We found it easiest to ride bikes so as to avoid the parking hassle, and my bike proved to be a most useful pack mule.
  


• I seem to be cured (?!) of my allergy to the Pacific Ocean****. I've gone swimming almost every day and haven't passed out even once. I'm so excited! I had a great time at the body surfing beach mentioned above, but have lost some of my nerve and skills over the years, so I need to do some more practicing.

• June's favorite activity***** at the beach right now is blowing bubbles on the patio. She started saying BaaBaa (bubbles) over and over again all day long. For the record, other words in her vocabulary: Mom, of various forms (mama, mommy, maaaaaa) -- which all mean "give me something" or "help me with something" or basically look at where she's pointing and do something about it; No -- which sometimes means the same as Mom and other times means "get away from me" or "don't do that" or "give that back to me" or just general flexing her toddler muscles of independence. She went through a phase where she'd say Oh Yeah a lot, but that's gone now. We also don't hear byebye, dada, or nighnigh much anymore. RollIt still comes back every now and again.

• Scott and I successfully took the kayak out and back through the waves without any scrapes or bruises!

• Thanks so much to Steve & Ie Li for dropping by to visit us on Sunday. It was so great to see them - we really miss our spread-out family members.

• We felt the earthquake! It was a 5.9 centered in Chino and was pretty gentle and uneventful by the time it got to us. This is quite significant for Oliver who prays to be safe from earthquakes every night.

• We saw a circus train! A real live Ringling Brothers train went past and that made us curious so we spent a while learning about them. Turns out the train is still the primary mode of transportation for the circus and carries all the cast & crew and their family members, the animals, and all the equipment. We all wondered if there would be a giraffe sticking it's head up through the car, but decided it would be too risky to train it to lower it's head for the tunnels.
  

• Is this the best way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the beach?!

• Riding bikes to have ice cream at the harbor?! All****** my favorites!

And it's especially great having a photographer along on the trip to snap some priceless family pics like this! Thanks Aunt Stephanie - this one's going on the christmas card!

I'm pretty sure my skin can't absorb any more sun and I have sufficiently stored enough melanin for the long dark winter ahead. They finished putting in our back yard while we've been away and we're dying to see it. Scott's getting stressed out about the work he has to do when he gets back. Brenden actually said in his prayer tonight, "thank you that school can start soon." All signs pointing to the fact that summer is coming to a close and it's time for us to go back home. Although we are feeling ready, I know we're really going to miss this place when we're gone.


*and glad we don't have to do it again for a long time.

**Plus of course Natalie - an honorary Wiley

***Read: waves that don't crash right onto the shore covered with sharp pointy rocks.

****For those of you unfamiliar with my illness...
Our family has gone on beach vacations almost every summer for as long as I can remember. Until I was 14 we'd go to the Atlantic Ocean and I have memories of swimming in the water all day long and having a grand 'ole time. But when we moved to California and started beaching there, I was no longer able to swim in the ocean without passing out. Well I only actually passed out twice, but other times I'd get extremely light headed and dizzy and almost pass out. And I'd get all swolen and welty. So I pretty much gave up swimming.

*****Besides her usual fun with the pantry and elevation changes

******Well is there a way to add in a ferris wheel and a pedicure in there somewhere?

misc summer stuff

We're on our way out of town tomorrow morning headed back to California. (In fact I'd better hurry since Scott will be mad at me if he catches me blogging before all the suitcases are packed.) We are sincerely hoping for cooler temperatures, as these days over 100 degrees are getting really old. Believe it or not, the boys have actually OD'd on Seven Peaks and we didn't go once this week. Scott says it's like when you want to teach your kids not to smoke by making them smoke a whole pack of cigarettes to see how bad it is and decide for themselves. In either case, I'm not complaining!

Anyway, here's a run down of this weeks Camp Wiley activities.

We broke down and got a wading pool and were so excited to try it out we couldn't even wait for the proper attire.


As an incentive for doing a few chores (cleaning up the basement and unloading the dishwasher) we got to go to Color Me Mine. A good time was had by all, including June and I who spent most of the time walking around outside (and practicing her new favorite trick -- walking up and down the curb a million times in a row). The boys painted bowls to use for storing their jewelry collections on their shelves.


On Pioneer Day we went to Provo's festivities at the park and walked past booths selling marshmallow guns and tie dyed t-shirts. It was hot and I was grumpy and not in the mood to spend money on that junk, so I just said something like, "I don't want to buy that stuff here, we can make that ourselves." Little did I know I was going to be held to that commitment and over the next few days we did indeed make both marshmallow guns out of PVC pipe (Scott went all out and made some for the neighbor kids too) and tie dyed t-shirts (gotta love the internet!). Maybe I should have just forked out the $10 at the park, but the boys were excited so I guess that makes it worth it, or something.



Yesterday some friends invited us to go on a hike up Provo Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls. Unfortunately there was a huge forest fire up there, so we went to plan B and rode the chair lift up the mountain at Sundance Resort. We had a little picnic and went on a hike at the top, then played in the stream at the bottom. Of course the best part about going to Sundance is always the suckers. Afterwards Oliver, who had been quite reluctant and nervous before going on the lift, kept saying, "that was so fun." Well said.


Poor Scott's been so busy at work and no matter how late he gets home, he first tends to our household needs (i.e. glues stuff back together, takes out the trash, fixes the garbage disposal, changes the water bottle on the cooler, mows the lawn in the dark, builds marshmallow guns out of PVC pipe, fulfills church responsibilities, etc). But I think he's taking some consolation riding this new little number around town these days. He just got it painted with authentic vintage paint and got some new parts for it on ebay and is having a good time restoring it piece by piece. We even re-organized the garage to give her a little more space. What a beauty.


So when we get back from the beach, we'll have one more week before school starts. Phew!

what did you have for dinner?

we had . . .

Angel Hair Pasta


literally.

the sweet sweet sound of nothing

This morning Brenden went to Cub Scout day camp bright and early -- before the other kids were up. Usually, the boys get up pretty early (Brenden first, then Oliver) and come downstairs and watch TV for a while before June and Scott & I get up. Today Oliver and June slept in until 8:30 am and then I noticed that when we came down for breakfast, it was unusually quiet. With Brenden gone, no one had turned on the TV. I decided to do a test and see how long we could go with it off. Oliver ate breakfast, played with June, watched the trucks working in the back yard (yay!), rode his bike, played with a friend -- all without ever turning the TV on, or even asking or suggesting it. It was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet!

Brenden came home from camp at 2pm and within 5 minutes the TV was on and the quiet spoiled. Brenden does all those same things Oliver does, plus art projects and lego projects and his latest favorite hobby jewelry making, but he doesn't like the quiet. He's not even very particular about the show that's on, but he gets anxious and unsettled when nothing's on. Turns out this is a lot like Scott, and he's a nice well-adjusted productive adult, so I don't need to get concerned that Brenden's brain is getting fried or anything. I recognize it's just a personality trait and a different way of working within your environment. It just would help if the sound of the TV didn't grate on my ears like nails on a chalkboard so much.

go ahead, help yourself

We drove home from church today at 2:30pm to find this deer just helping herself to our daylillies. She paused for a second and looked up and saw us watching her, but then turned back and kept munching. Complete brazen disregard for all my hard work -- hours put in every day to keep those flowers alive and flourishing. Go ahead little deer, help yourself. Nevermind us.